- 2 days ago
Keyless Queen
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:06Leon finally noticed that I had gone three days without asking Lydia for a
00:10single key he thought I had finally learned to be an obedient Queen so he
00:15sent a servant with a message that sounded more like a royal favor than an
00:19apology his majesty says tonight he will have someone bring you the key to the
00:25royal apothetory he will also send the royal physician to check on your father
00:29again but I didn't react at all listening to the royal servants announcement I
00:35just sat quietly at the table without the joy he had expected his majesty
00:40reminds you to abide by this rule never again employ crude theatrical ploys to
00:45threaten the crown the gold the late King awarded your father will remain under
00:51the royal households care people of your black race should not hold that much
00:57gold all at once it only invites trouble I stood in the grandest chamber of
01:02Whitestone Palace and listened quietly what Leon did not know was that by the
01:06time I received that message I had already filed a petition to dissolve our
01:10marriage in the archbishop's court my father had died three days ago in his
01:14blacksmith shop after three years in the palace the only things I could take with
01:19me where the old dress I had worn when I first entered the palace and the little
01:23iron hammer my father had forged for me with his own hands the servant waited for
01:28me to cry shout or beg for the King's mercy I did none of those things I only
01:34folded the message once placed it on the table and look toward the locked
01:37wardrobe across the room no one would believe that Aliyah the Queen everyone
01:42envied lived in the grandest chamber of Whitestone Palace yet could not even open
01:47her own wardrobe my gowns were locked in the west wing wardrobe my jewelry was
01:54locked in the Queen's jewel room my carriage sat in the Eastgate carriage house my
01:58father's reward money was sealed inside an iron coffer at the bottom of the
02:02royal Treasury even when I wanted to call a royal physician for my father I had to
02:07ask Lydia for the apothecary key and permission to leave the palace and every one
02:12of those keys was in Lydia's hands she was the King's chief court lady and she had
02:17grown up with Leon before I appeared everyone believed she would become the
02:21woman who ruled this palace later on his deathbed the old King insisted that Leon
02:27marry me because my father Thomas had saved the old King during a winter hunt but Leon
02:34looked down on my low birth he always believed that if a poor family suddenly
02:38received wealth we would waste at the moment it reached our hands the gold will
02:43stay in the royal Treasury it will be released whenever your father truly needs
02:49it I believed him I thought being Queen meant I had finally earned a place where
02:56my father would be safe instead I found myself standing before locked doors waiting
03:02for another woman to decide whether my needs were proper enough three days ago my
03:07father was dying I begged Leon to give me the key to my father's gold coffer I
03:12also begged him to let me take medicine from the royal apothecary Lydia kept
03:16holding back the Treasury key and the apothecary key again and again until my
03:22father died in his bed all these years I endured everything so my father could
03:26keep receiving treatment from the royal physicians and medicine from the palace
03:31apothecary now my father was gone there was no reason for me to stay
03:37when I asked Leon to end our marriage he refused he was in his study reading the
03:42border tax ledgers his eyes never left the parchment his voice was as cold as if
03:48he were scolding a maid who had broken a cup
03:53stop making trouble
03:54he treated it like nothing more than a childish error not realizing for a moment that I meant every word
04:00I'm
04:01not making trouble I've already submitted the petition to the archbishop's court I
04:06stood before his desk and said calmly only then did Leon look up at me his eyes
04:11were cold as though my words were a waste of his time about your father I was the
04:18one who told Lydia not to give you the apothecary key it had nothing to do with her she was
04:24only
04:24following my orders my fingers twitched at my sides in the past the moment he
04:31mentioned my father I would lower my head my father's old wounds flared up every
04:38winter village healers could not help him he had to rely on the royal physicians in medicine from the
04:44palace apothecary to stay alive that was the reward the late king had promised him
04:51but after the old king died Leon said my father did not know how to manage money
04:55he said a blacksmith who suddenly possessed that much gold would only be cheated
04:59robbed and perhaps killed for it so he locked my father's gold coffer inside the royal treasury
05:06he said he would release it whenever my father truly needed it but every need had to go through
05:12Lydia his majesty's commands are absolute I have no special privileges even when my own father's life
05:19was hanging in the balance my father was burning with fever his old wound rotting open I knelt outside
05:27the apothecary door and begged Lydia to give me the key she wore a pale blue court gown and held
05:33a ring
05:33of keys in her hand her smile was gentle almost regretful your majesty the apothecary key cannot be
05:42handed over carially visa they Thomas the coupon traceable is master Thomas is only a commoner he does
05:51not fall under royal emergency care that treatment was promised to him by the late king I'm not denying the
05:58late king's generosity but rules are rules have the village healer write a note describing his condition
06:06first then have it sealed by a church physician only then can I open the apothecary I brought back the
06:18note she glanced at it and frowned lightly I brought back the note she glanced at it and frowned lightly
06:26the date isn't clear enough it only says fever it doesn't specify whether his life is in danger
06:32your majesty I'm not trying to make this hard for you every bottle in the royal apothecary must be recorded
06:39you are queen now you cannot act like you are still in a blacksmith shop taking whatever you want
06:46whenever you want it after that she made me bring a travel permit a physician's certificate a written
06:52reason for withdrawing from the gold coffin a statement explaining why my father could not be treated by a
06:59village healer I ran back and forth again and again my father's breathing grew weaker each time
07:05I returned the village healer pressed the last certificate into my hand and
07:10whispered whispered that there might still be time if I hurried by the time I returned with the paper my
07:18shoes were
07:18soaked through with mud and Lydia only asked whether the church seal was placed in the correct corner
07:29by the time the key finally arrived in the blacksmith shop my father never opened his eyes again
07:41so now when Leon said he would have someone bring me the apothecary key tonight
07:45I found it absurd the apothecary no longer mattered my father had no use for it anymore
07:51Leon watched my silence and thought I had finally learned to be afraid
07:55he closed the parchment in his hand impatient
07:58Alia if you hadn't stormed into the household office a few days ago and shouted at Lydia
08:03I would never have let her hold back the keys to teach you a lesson
08:07you are queen not some little girl throwing a fit in a blacksmith shop
08:14last night I already told her to give you the apothecary key
08:17my time is precious I don't have the patience to watch you lose your temper
08:21with that he stood and turned to leave he was certain I would lower my head soon enough
08:27just like I had for the past three years
08:29even when he said in front of the nobles that I looked desperate to please I only smiled and said
08:35nothing even when Lydia smiled and took one key after another away from me I endured it
08:41I once thought that as long as my father was alive I could endure anything now my father was gone
08:47and I did not need to stay anymore but Leon did not know that he had never been willing to
08:52let me
08:52finish a sentence later a maid brought me the celebration ledger Lydia had sent
08:58his majesty asks your majesty to write a line of praise
09:03so no one mister stands lady Lydia
09:05I found that joke and laughed
09:08the maid lowered her eyes afraid I would tear the ledger apart
09:12instead I took the quill with steady fingers
09:17I picked up the quill and wrote carefully lady Lydia is diligent indeed with one ring
09:25of keys she rules over both the queen and the servants
09:37Aladia may she keep guarding every door and may she keep guarding the place she hopes to move
09:43into one day your majesty should I really deliver this the maid's face went pale
09:53deliver it exactly as written his majesty wanted praise
09:58I gave him praise after writing it I closed the ledger then I returned to my chamber and began to
10:05there was not much to pack everything that seemed to belong to me in the palace was locked in someone
10:11else's hands the only things I could take were the old dress I wore when I entered the palace
10:16a few faded shirts and the little hammer my father had given me for all these years I had lived
10:22in the
10:23palace like a temporary guest only now did I understand even a guest could at least open a
10:29door for herself I folded the old dress carefully and placed my father's hammer on top of it
10:34the iron handle was cold but the weight of it steadied me more than any crown ever had
10:40outside the bells of white stone palace rang for Lydia's private dinner inside I closed my trunk and
10:47finally felt something like peace no longer a queen no longer in need of anyone's keys
10:52I am just me the me who can make any decision
10:57Leon came back very quickly whenever it involved Lydia he was always prompt he strode into my chamber
11:04and did not even notice the small leather trunk at my feet I said flatly I heard I didn't want
11:12to
11:12Leon looked as if I had said something outrageous
11:15I already told you Lydia has managed the palace household well lately so I held a dinner to reward
11:21her there are already enough people in the palace misunderstanding her after what you wrote in the
11:28ledger how is she supposed to face anyone I could not help laugh
11:34so not everyone is blind
11:38if people misunderstand her so easily maybe they already know what she's been doing
11:44Leon's face darkened
11:47Aaliyah
11:47when did you become so vulgar
11:50you know exactly how hard it is for a young woman without a noble title to rise this far
11:55why would you smear another capable woman like this
12:00Lydia only manages the palace for me
12:05if you hadn't made a spade a scene in the household office would people be talking about her now
12:09he looked at me with exhaustion and blame in his eyes
12:13if you want to be a queen who knows nothing except how to hold out her hand for keys I
12:17won't blame you
12:21I gave you a crown
12:22a palace
12:23and status
12:25what more do you want
12:26for three years
12:28I had wanted him to ask that question sincerely
12:30now that he had finally asked it
12:33but now
12:34there's no point in my answering anymore
12:38but if you keep targeting Lydia don't blame me for being harsh
12:42think about your father
12:46I finally laughed out loud
12:50it hurt my throat
12:51then I opened my trunk right in front of him
12:57a crown
12:58a palace
12:59dignity
13:01Leon
13:02look at what my life in your palace has been
13:07I'm leaving
13:08and I can't even pack four decent dresses
13:16if I wanted to change into a ball gown I had to ask your lady of the court for a
13:20key
13:23if I wanted to visit my father I had to explain the reason to Lydia first
13:28what queen has to live at the mercy of her husband's favorite court lady
13:32there was not a trace of guilt on Leon's face
13:34he only frowned and asked
13:36genuinely baffled
13:39all this over that
13:43so you were jealous of Lydia and deliberately tried to ruin her name
13:47my heart went cold
13:48inch by inch
13:50if he truly thought this was wrong
13:52he would not have let Lydia take my keys again and again for three years
13:56he would not have allowed the entire palace to know the queen had no right to open her own doors
14:01I lowered my eyes
14:03fine
14:04think whatever you want
14:07I want our marriage dissolved
14:09Leon laughed instead
14:10there was a knowing look in that laugh
14:13as if he had finally seen through my cheap little trick
14:16enough
14:16I don't have time to coax you through another tantrum
14:22you're doing all this because of Lydia aren't you
14:25don't assume every woman is like you
14:28always fighting over a man
14:30as he spoke
14:32he smoothed the wrinkle from his sleeve as though making a great concession
14:36tomorrow
14:37I will send the royal physician to see your father in person
14:43in a moment
14:44I'll have Lydia give you the keys to the queen's wardrobe
14:47the jewel room
14:49and the carriage house
14:51from now on your daily expenses won't need to go through the household accounts
14:57after three years as Leon's wife
14:59I understood him well enough
15:00for him
15:01this was already the greatest compromise he could offer
15:04under normal circumstances
15:06I should have known when to stop
15:08but I was tired of this marriage of three people
15:11just like now
15:12he had made so many promises
15:14yet he never mentioned Lydia holding back the apothecary key
15:19I don't want anything
15:21except to end this marriage
15:23Leon finally realized I was not acting poor
15:25his impatience instantly turned into anger
15:29Aaliyah
15:30don't forget how you became queen
15:33your father saved the late king
15:37that is why the late king rewarded your family with honor
15:42if you leave me
15:43those rewards
15:45that gold
15:46those properties
15:48you won't get a single copper on
15:50and your father's illness
15:53without the royal physicians and the royal apothecary
15:57how long do you think he can last?
16:00not long at all
16:01I knew that better than anyone
16:03now everything was only returning to where it should have been
16:06I fastened
16:07my trunk again and said lightly
16:10do whatever you want
16:13Leon froze
16:14he seemed unable to understand why a threat that had always worked on Aaliyah
16:18suddenly had no effect
16:19but his pride would not let him lower his head again
16:24so he watched her drag her trunk toward the door with a cold face
16:27when Aaliyah pulled open the chamber doors
16:30he seemed as if he wanted to call her back
16:32in the end
16:33he said nothing
16:34only later did Aaliyah learn that Lydia went to his study that night
16:39your majesty doesn't need to humor her
16:42leave her alone for a few days
16:44she'll come back and apologize
16:46her majesty has simply grown too comfortable as queen
16:50and wants to make a scene
16:52Leon believed her
16:53he even found a honey mint in his study and thought of Aaliyah
16:57his throat always hurt in winter
16:59so Aaliyah had once learned to make those candies for him
17:02Leon turned the candy between his fingers for a long while
17:08she is not completely useless after all
17:10Lydia lowered her eyes to hide the shadow of jealousy in them
17:14even now
17:15even while he was angry
17:16one small candy was enough to make Leon think of Aaliyah first
17:20he told himself that Aaliyah was not completely useless after all
17:24when she came back
17:25he would make her apologize sincerely
17:28and she would never again threaten him with a petition to dissolve their marriage
17:34after leaving the palace
17:35I did not leave the kingdom
17:37I first went to the archbishop's court to confirm that my petition had been filed
17:42then
17:43carrying my father's ashes
17:45I went to the armory camp on the northern border
17:48that was where my father had worked when he was young
17:50he used to say that in the north
17:52people did not ask where you came from
17:55they only asked whether you were good with your hands
17:57I did not understand that before
17:59now I did
18:01when I arrived at the armory camp
18:03dragging my trunk behind me
18:05the soldier at the gate looked at me with obvious suspicion
18:11who are you looking for?
18:14Madam Martha
18:15Madam Martha was the old blacksmith of the armory camp
18:19and she had once trained with my father
18:21before I married into the palace
18:23she had come to persuade me not to go
18:26a place like the palace isn't meant for people like us
18:29people who live by our hands
18:32I did not listen then
18:33now when I saw her again
18:35her hair had turned white
18:37she looked at the trunk in my hand and the urn in my arms
18:40she did not ask a single question
18:44come in
18:45she simply stepped aside
18:50my nose stung
18:51and tears fell before I could stop them
18:54for the first time since my father's death
18:56no one asked me for a permit
18:58a seal
18:59or a reason
19:01one door opened because someone chose to open it for me
19:06after I had cried enough
19:07Madam Martha said slowly
19:13done crying?
19:15then wash your hands
19:19I'm sure to lock repairer
19:21and someone who can mend armor
19:22if you still remember what your father taught you
19:25stay
19:25I stared at her
19:28you're not going to ask why I'm here?
19:31Madam Martha snorted
19:33anyone who can walk out of the palace alive
19:36is lucky enough
19:38what is there to ask?
19:40or did three years as queen
19:42make you too delicate to hold a hammer?
19:45I smiled through my tears
19:49I can hold one
19:50for myself
19:51I can hold anything
19:53at first I was not used to it
19:57the wind in the north was hard
19:59the furnace was scorching
20:01and the armory camp was nothing like the palace
20:03no maids came to make my bed
20:05blisters soon formed across my palms
20:08a young apprentice saw the blood on my fingers
20:11and held out a strip of cloth
20:15Miss Aurelia
20:15maybe you should rest
20:17I wrapped my palm
20:19and picked up the hammer again
20:23if I stop every time I bleed
20:26I will never make anything strong
20:28but as time passed
20:30the skills carved into my bones
20:32slowly returned
20:33how to hear the quality of
20:35metal
20:36how to tell where a lock's inner teeth were stuck
20:38how to shape a horseshoe with the right curve
20:41how to mend a broken sword
20:51the more I worked
20:52the steadier my hands became
20:54once
20:55I repaired a cracked bracer for a night
20:58he tested it twice
20:59and raised his thumb in surprise
21:02I smiled
21:04I thought someone from the palace
21:06would only know how to wear rings
21:12I couldn't afford rings before
21:16the soldiers around us froze for a second
21:19then burst into laughter
21:20that was the first time I laughed easily
21:23after leaving the palace
21:24then an unwelcome voice sounded behind me
21:27Aladia?
21:28I looked up and saw Lydia
21:30she wore a white fox fur cloak
21:32and stood not far away
21:33several servants behind her
21:35her gaze swept over my hands
21:37stained with coal and iron dust
21:39then over the soldiers beside me
21:41the corner of her mouth lifted
21:46so this is why her majesty
21:48suddenly made such a fuss
21:50about ending the marriage
21:51you came back to a place like this
21:54some people can wear a crown
21:56and still never forget
21:58they came from a blacksmith's shop
22:00I would breast on your face
22:03my face went cold
22:05the people of the northern armory
22:07mended armor
22:07forged swords
22:09and repaired gates in wind and snow
22:11to protect the border
22:12they did not deserve her contempt
22:18I set down the tongs in my hand
22:22Lydia
22:23do you not have a room of your own?
22:25why are you behind every door I open?
22:28Lydia's expression changed
22:29at that moment
22:30a familiar voice came from behind her
22:34what happened?
22:37Leon walked over
22:38he wore black hunting clothes
22:40with the royal cloak over his shoulders
22:42so
22:43he had come to inspect the northern border
22:45and of course Lydia had come with him
22:47her eyes reddened as she lowered her voice
22:50nothing your majesty
22:54I only saw her majesty away from the palace for so long
22:59surrounded by soldiers and smith
23:01and worried she might be taken advantage of
23:05I tried to advise her
23:07but she misunderstood me
23:11only then did Leon notice me
23:13his brows drew together slightly
23:15there was that familiar certainty in his eyes
23:23I looked at him once
23:29then turned away without wasting a word
23:31and picked up my tools
23:32the young apprentice beside me whispered
23:37Miss Aaliyah
23:38who is that?
23:39I said coldly
23:40my blind brainless husband
23:42Leon's face darkened
23:45Aaliyah
23:48you followed me all the way to the north
23:51how long do you plan to keep this up?
23:54you've been away from the palace for so long
23:57ignoring your father completely
24:04are you really trying to force me
24:06to never give him the apothetory key again?
24:09I looked at him
24:10tired of him to the bone
24:14then don't give it
24:17that's what you're best at, isn't it?
24:21something in my eyes must have cut Leon
24:23he turned sharply to the servant beside him
24:27send orders back to the cathedral
24:30from today on
24:31Thomas is not to be given the apothetory key again
24:35and the gold coffin is not to be opened
24:38panic flashed across Lydia's face
24:41your majesty
24:43perhaps we shouldn't
24:45Leon coldly pressed down the hand she had placed on his arm
24:48she needs to be taught a lesson
24:51otherwise
24:52she will never learn how to be queen
24:55the servant's face went deathly pale
24:57and he did not answer
24:59Leon frowned
25:00what?
25:01the servant lowered his head
25:03his voice tightened
25:04your majesty
25:07master thomas has passed away
25:09Leon froze
25:10what did you say?
25:12the servant forced the words out
25:15three days ago
25:17her majesty
25:20requested that the apothetory be opened
25:23but the key was never delivered
25:25by the time the physician arrived
25:28master thomas had already
25:29he did not finish
25:32Leon stood there as if he had suddenly forgotten
25:35how to understand language
25:36a long time passed before he murmured
25:39how is that?
25:44why didn't anyone tell me?
25:49the servant looked even more troubled
25:52someone did report it to your majesty at the time
25:55Leon stared at him
25:58what did I say?
26:00the servant clenched his jaw
26:02you said that
26:04while you and lady Lydia
26:05were watching the winter lantern parade
26:07you did not want to hear anything related to the queen
26:10in that instant
26:11Leon's face went white
26:13I watched him finally remember
26:15that day
26:16I had burst into the household office
26:18and begged Lydia to give me the apothecary key
26:21he said I had shamed the crown
26:23later
26:24to comfort Lydia
26:25after she had been frightened
26:26he lit winter lanterns across the capital
26:29for an entire night
26:30the nobles all said his majesty
26:33truly favored his chief court lady
26:34my father took his last breath
26:36that same night
26:38Leon turned sharply toward Lydia
26:40tears welled in Lydia's eyes
26:43as if she had suffered a great injustice
26:45Leon
26:47I didn't mean to keep it from you
26:50I only thought Master Thomas had already received so much grace from the late king
26:55and her majesty always makes things sound worse than they are
26:58I was afraid she would influence her
27:01I froley
27:03give me your key ledger
27:05for the first time
27:06Leon cut her off
27:08what
27:10Lydia froze
27:14the record from the apothecary
27:16the treasury key
27:18and the carriage house key
27:20from the past few days
27:22all of them
27:24the blood drained from Lydia's face
27:27Leon
27:29these are household affairs
27:31you've never investigated me like this before
27:33what was left to explain
27:34everything I had said was true
27:36I had not been jealous of Lydia
27:38I had not used my father's illness to threaten him
27:41I had truly wanted to leave
27:43the way Leon looked at me finally began to change
27:46but
27:47I only felt tired
27:48I looked away and lowered my head to sort my tools
27:51three whole years had been wrong
27:53Leon took one step toward me
27:55but the soldiers of the armory camp shifted almost at the same time
27:59no one drew a weapon
28:01they only stood there
28:02silent and solid
28:04between the king and the woman he had cornered for too long
28:13Aaliyah
28:13don't
28:15that single word stopped him more sharply than any royal command
28:19Lydia's fingers closed around the edge of her cloak
28:23your majesty
28:24I can explain the ledgers
28:27her majesty always demanded things outside procedure
28:31I was protecting your reputation
28:34Leon looked at her
28:36and for once he did not immediately believe them
28:38then you will explain them in writing
28:41every missing hour
28:44every delayed key
28:47every sealed door
28:48I heard those words and felt nothing like triumph
28:51there was no victory
28:53in being believed after the person you loved most was already dead
29:01late that night
29:02I came out of the armory camp to dump furnace ash
29:05and saw Leon standing not far away
29:07the firelight was dim
29:09and snow rested on his shoulders
29:11I had only seen him that afternoon
29:13yet he looked as if his soul had been drained out of him
29:16when he saw me
29:17he stepped toward me at once
29:19Aaliyah
29:19I frowned and stepped back
29:21he stopped
29:22his voice was hoarse
29:25I've taken all the keys back from Lydia
29:26she is no longer the chief court lady
29:29about your father
29:31I didn't know
29:31give me a chance to make it up to you alright
29:34my heart did not soften
29:35I only found it absurd
29:36once
29:37I had begged him to listen to one sentence
29:39and he found me annoying
29:41now he stood in the snow
29:43finally willing to bow his head
29:44but it was too late
29:46I looked at him calmly
29:48Leon
29:48do you think Lydia is the only problem between us?
29:51he seemed caught off guard
29:54I know I was wrong
29:55he seemed caught off guard
29:56I shouldn't have let her control your keys
30:00I shouldn't have used that method to teach you rules
30:04I just thought the palace had always been like this
30:07noblemen manage their common born wives this way all the time
30:12I never thought it would hurt you
30:15and I never truly meant to abandon your father
30:19I looked at him
30:21Leon
30:22even now
30:23you still think that if you are willing to give
30:26I should be grateful enough to take it
30:28you made me queen
30:29then handed my wardrobe the apothetory
30:31and my father's life-saving money to Lydia
30:32you saw my humiliation
30:33you just believed someone of my birth
30:34had no right to feel humiliated
30:36his face turned paler by the second
30:38I went on
30:40we are over
30:42I don't want anything
30:44when the archbip's court asks for your response
30:46don't stand in the way
30:47that's all
30:48confusion filled
30:50Leon's eyes
30:51he seemed unable to understand
30:53why I refused to forgive him
30:54when he had already lowered himself this far
30:56carefully he asked
30:58what will it take for you to come back with me?
31:02I can give you the keys to the queen's wardrobe
31:04the jewel room
31:05the treasury
31:06the apothetory
31:07all of them
31:08from today on
31:09no door in the palace will stand in your way
31:14I could not help laughing
31:15if all you needed was a vase beside your throne
31:17you should never have been kind to me in the beginning
31:19yes
31:21I had loved him once
31:22during my first year in the palace
31:24Leon had not always been cold
31:26he taught me my first court dance
31:28he taught me my first court dance
31:33when noble ladies mocked my accent
31:36he took my hand and walked me across the entire ballroom
31:40she is my queen
31:42in that moment
31:43I truly believed I had been chosen
31:49Leon began to say
31:50I did not understand the rules
31:51that I was too sensitive
31:53too petty
31:54too embarrassing
31:56that Lydia was only helping him
31:58his tenderness was like winter fog on a window
32:00the moment I touched it
32:02it disappeared
32:03I looked at Leon and said softly
32:06I don't need your compensation
32:09I only need this marriage to end
32:11Leon looked as if he had been struck
32:13he stumbled one step forward and reached for me
32:16I avoided him
32:18his hand froze in the air
32:23Aelia even a prisoner dragged before a court gets to defend himself once
32:27his voice was almost pleading
32:28you can't deny me even one chance to explain
32:33I gave you many chances
32:34I said calmly
32:37every time I waited outside your study
32:40every time I went to the household office to beg for a key
32:45every time was told you stake for me when key
32:49every time I told you Lydia was delaying me on purpose
32:54every time you said listen to Lydia
32:58those were chances
33:01you were the one who threw them all away
33:03Leon had nothing left to say
33:05I knew how stubborn he was
33:07I also knew dissolving our marriage would not be easy
33:10but I did not expect him to arrive at the armory camp the next morning with a train of carriages
33:15they were loaded with silk
33:17medicine, gold coffers, and food
33:24the northern armory is always short on funds
33:27I've already ordered the treasurer to allocate money to you
33:33Leon stood in the snow when he saw me
33:36there was even a careful smile on his face
33:41these medicines and iron supplies are for the camp as well
33:43then he took a small box from a servant
33:47these are candid figs
33:48I remember you used to ask for them late at night
33:51eat while they're still warm
33:52I did not reach for them
33:54you don't like them?
33:55the hope in Leon's eyes stiffened little by little
33:59I don't like candid figs
34:00Lydia does
34:01I said lightly
34:02Leon froze
34:04I looked at the box and remembered long ago
34:07for a period of time
34:08he often asked me to have the kitchens make candied figs late at night
34:12I thought he liked sweets while working late
34:15only later did I learn they were for Lydia
34:17once I saw her sitting at the small table in the king's study with my own eyes
34:24your majesty
34:25please have the kitchens make another serving next time
34:28at Leon tried them and thinks they're good too
34:34that day I argued with Leon
34:38it's just a bit of food from the kitchen
34:41you are queen and Lydia runs the palace household for me
34:44what's wrong with rewarding her?
34:45stop acting so small minded
34:47now thinking back
34:49I found myself almost laughable
34:51so I had once been that devoted
34:54I'm sorry
34:55I remembered wrong
34:56Leon gave a difficult smile
35:00then what do you like?
35:02I'll wish to her it
35:03I'll have someone prepare it
35:04I lowered my head and continued inspecting a broken sword
35:07no need
35:10but Leon did not give up over the next few days
35:13he kept sending gifts
35:15sometimes it was a sapphire necklace
35:17sometimes a gold-threaded shawl
35:19sometimes white roses from the royal greenhouse
35:22once
35:23he even sent a pair of ivory gloves set with tiny pearls
35:26I looked at those things and became genuinely curious
35:30how did a man who listened this badly manage to rule a country?
35:34when the armory finished repairing a batch of border longswords
35:37Leon came again
35:39this time he carried a delicate wooden box
35:44I did not let him open it
35:47the palace keys?
35:49his eyes lit up
35:50how did you know?
35:52I looked at him and gave a small smile
35:54because you finally remembered that keys were what I lacked most for the past three years
35:59a hint of joy appeared on his face
36:01as if he thought he had finally done something right
36:04he opened the box
36:05inside lay a ring of golden keys
36:07the wardrobe
36:08the jewel room
36:09the apothecary
36:11the carriage house
36:12the treasury
36:13the inner chamber
36:14each key bore the queen's crest
36:18from today on
36:20you can open every room in the palace
36:24A'Lelia
36:26I will make up for everything I owe you
36:31I looked at those keys
36:32so late in coming
36:33and suddenly felt exhausted
36:35Leon you still don't understand
36:37Leon you still don't understand
36:40I wanted keys before because I was I was still trying to survive inside that palace
36:46I don't need them now
36:48I never wanted the keys to every door in the palace
36:51I never want to go back to that palace at all
36:55the color drained from Leon's face
36:57I continued
36:59the sapphire you sent is what Lydia likes
37:01the gold-threaded shoal is something she wears often
37:06white roses sit in her room all year
37:08the ivory gloves are what she wears before every winter hunt
37:13see
37:14you remember another woman's taste so clearly
37:17so why not dissolve this marriage smoothly and marry her
37:21Leon answered almost without thinking
37:23thinking
37:23she cannot be queen
37:25her birth is not suitable
37:27she only likes power and the things inside the palace
37:30I suddenly understood
37:31he saw Lydia clearly
37:33he had simply never considered her someone who could stand beside him
37:37as for me
37:38I had the late king's command
37:40and the title of the savior's daughter
37:42my birth was low
37:43but I had no noble family that could threaten him
37:46I was suited to be a queen placed beside his throne
37:49perhaps there was love in his attachment to me
37:52but more than that he could not accept that I had chosen to leave him
37:57I looked straight at Leon
37:59so you think I walked away with nothing because I loved you?
38:03because you broke my heart because I wanted you to regret it?
38:06Leon looked away
38:07I said softly
38:10you're wrong
38:12I married you because my father needed the physicians and medicine the late king promised him
38:18I stayed in the palace because he was still alive
38:24now he is dead
38:25I don't need your money
38:26I don't need your keys
38:28I don't need your love
38:32and I don't need you
38:34Leon
38:37the ruling from the archbishop's court came sooner than I expected
38:41perhaps because Leon did not interfere again
38:44perhaps because too many people in the capital already knew that before the queen's father died
38:49the apothecary key had been delayed again and again
38:52the marriage is dissolved on the grounds that it was arranged by the late king's command
38:57that there are no children and that the relationship has broken beyond repair
39:05Leon did not appear dot royal judges handled everything on his behalf to my surprise
39:09he did not leave me with nothing as he had once threatened to do
39:13he sent all the reward money my father should have received to the north
39:16he also gave me an estate near the border
39:19a box of jewels
39:20and everything that had once belonged to me in the queen's chamber
39:24I returned to the palace once
39:26nothing in that chamber had been moved
39:27the wardrobe stood open
39:29the jewel room stood open
39:31even the inner room I could not enter for three years had its door wide open
39:35on the table lay that ring of golden keys
39:38each one had been polished until it shone
39:40but I no longer wanted them
39:44I spent two days handing the gowns, jewelry, and properties in the capital
39:49over to the merchant's guild for auction
39:51part of the money went to repairing the northern armory camp
39:54part went to the families of fallen border soldiers
39:56the rest
39:58I used to build a small workshop in my father's name
40:01one that would take in girls with nowhere else to go and teach them a trade
40:05on the third evening
40:06a royal servant came to the armory camp
40:09he carried a small gold chest and looked uncomfortable
40:13Miss Aaliyah
40:14his majesty said the earlier compensation was not enough
40:19these are new deeds and letters of credit
40:22I looked at the black carriage parked in the distance
40:24I took the chest and walked over
40:27after a while
40:28the carriage window lowered
40:30Leon sat inside
40:32he had lost a great deal of weight
40:34dark stubble shadowed his jaw
40:36and his eyes were full of exhaustion
40:41I handed the chest back through the window
40:45Leon
40:47I am grateful you didn't truly send me away empty handed
40:50what you have already given me is enough
40:55but I will still sell the gowns
40:57the jewels
40:59and the houses
41:01I have enough money
41:04I simply don't want to keep anything from the palace
41:07Leon's voice was hoarse
41:10Aaliyah
41:12I only want to make it up to you
41:16you've already made up enough
41:23we owe each other nothing now
41:27Leon suddenly grew agitated
41:29how can we owe each other nothing
41:33your father
41:34and the way I treated you before
41:37I wronged you
41:38I was silent for a moment
41:43I did hate you
41:45my father saved the late king
41:48but the reward he earned was locked inside the palace
41:50when he needed those things to live
41:52I couldn't even get a key
41:56there was a time when I wanted to burn that palace down
41:58Leon's face turned pale
42:01I went on
42:03but I also have to admit
42:06Leon that my father survived those three years
42:08because of the royal physicians in the apothetry
42:11that was what the old king promised him
42:16and it was something you never completely own
42:21he never completely took away
42:22before my father died
42:24he held my hand with the little strength he had left
42:31Aaliyah
42:32don't spend your whole life inside hatred
42:37my greatest regret is not that I never lived in a grand house
42:41it's that I never got to see you return to the forge
42:46my daughter could have made the finest keys
42:51win the finest keys
42:54at that moment
42:55the person I hated most became myself
42:58I hated myself for being useless
43:00I hated that even though I knew the palace was not my home
43:03I still endured three years there for my father
43:06and I hated that in the end
43:08I still failed to save him
43:10so now everything is only returning to where it should be
43:14and it was something you never completely own
43:19you never completely took away
43:21something seemed to shatter in Leon's eyes
43:27we sat in silence for a long time
43:29in the end
43:30there was no unnecessary farewell
43:32when the carriage left
43:34I did not look back
43:36over the next few years
43:38I poured almost all my time into the armory camp
43:41I repaired gates
43:43adjusted crossbows
43:45redesigned horseshoes for the northern cavalry
43:48eventually
43:48even the minister of war in the capital heard that there was a female armorer
43:52in the north who could make ruined plates of armor look new again
43:56when Madame Martha grew older
43:58she often sat by the forge and watched me train apprentices
44:03choose your students carefully
44:05I'm too old to rescue you first
44:08and then rescue your useless little apprentices too
44:11my apprentices and I all laughed
44:15that winter
44:16I suddenly received news
44:18Leon had been injured
44:19a fire had broken out in the old queen's chamber
44:23and he had rushed in to save someone
44:27half his face had been burned
44:29the messenger said Lydia had set the fire
44:33after she was driven from the palace
44:35she never accepted it
44:36she believed his majesty
44:38refused to marry her because you were still alive
44:41and because he had kept the queen's chamber
44:44untouched
44:45she used an old key she had secretly copied
44:48slipped into white stone palace
44:50and tried to burn the chamber down
44:52maybe she wanted to kill Leon
44:54maybe she wanted to kill me
44:55the woman she believed would one day return
44:59after hesitating for a long time
45:01I went to see him once
45:02my heart had not softened
45:04some things simply needed a real ending
45:10Leon lay in the palace infirmary
45:12half of his face was wrapped in white bandages
45:15the physicians whispered that the scar would likely be deep
45:18when he saw me
45:20he gave a smile uglier than crying
45:22you came
45:23I nodded politely as if visiting an old acquaintance
45:27I heard you were hurt
45:29he said
45:30Lydia will stand trial
45:33falsifying the key ledger
45:34holding back the apothetory key
45:36hiding the queen's travel permits
45:38and arson
45:40she will pay for all of it
45:42I did not ask further
45:43none of those things had anything to do with me now
45:46I only asked
45:47a few polite questions about his injuries
45:54will the burn affect your sight?
46:01the physicians say one eye may blur in winter
46:04it doesn't matter
46:06then follow their instructions
46:09when the next group of nobles came in to visit
46:11I took the chance to leave at the door
46:14Leon suddenly called my name
46:21Aaliyah
46:21I stopped but did not turn around
46:24his voice was low
46:28that chamber is gone
46:32everything from before is gone too
46:34I said calmly
46:36that's alright
46:38I never wanted any of it
46:41I said calmly
46:44behind me
46:45there was a long silence
46:47I opened the door
46:48and walked out of the infirmary
46:49the sunlight outside was bright
46:51like my new life
47:02Lydia's trial was held in the old judgment hall of white stone palace
47:05she no longer wore pale blue silk or white fox fur
47:09her wrists were bound
47:11her hair was loose
47:12and smoke stains still clung to the hem of her gown
47:16Lydia, former chief court lady
47:18you are accused of falsifying household ledgers
47:21withholding royal keys
47:22concealing travel permits
47:24delaying royal medicine
47:25and setting fire to the queen's chamber
47:27how do you answer?
47:29Lydia lifted her head and laughed
47:33Queen's chamber?
47:35she was never worthy of that chamber
47:37the noble's whisper dot
47:38Leon sat behind the carved screen
47:40half his face hidden beneath bandages
47:42he did not speak
47:45the recovered ledger shows that the apothe three key
47:49was requested five times on the night Master Thomas died
47:53each request was delayed under your seal
47:57I followed palace
48:00I followed palace rules
48:02the travel permit was also hidden under your seal
48:07because she always wanted to run back to that filthy forge
48:13not the furls
48:15Leon closed his eyes
48:17Lydia suddenly turned toward the screen as if she could see him
48:21Leon, if Allelia had not appeared, I would have been queen long ago
48:26no
48:27you kept that chamber untouched because you still dreamed she would return
48:32if she died
48:34everything would go back to how it was
48:37the judgment hall fell silent
48:40then you admit you set the fire knowing she might return
48:44Lydia's face twisted
48:46I admit nothing except that she stole what should have been mine
48:56After the trial, Leon dismissed every guard and walked alone to the ruins of the old queen's chamber
49:03the corridor still smelled of smoke
49:05the portraits of past queens remained on the walls
49:08but the place where Allia's portrait had once hung was black and empty
49:13your majesty
49:14your majesty
49:14the physician said you should not be near ash
49:20leave
49:21the guard bowed and retreated
49:24Leon stepped over burned silk
49:26broken beams and melted glass
49:28the wardrobe that he had finally opened for Allia was gone
49:31the jewel room was gone
49:33the table where he had placed the polished golden
49:36keys was split in half
49:38a half melted key lay in the ashes
49:40Leon picked it up with his bandaged hand
49:47your majesty
49:48your wound will reopen
49:49it should
49:50he looked at the twisted key
49:52and suddenly remembered Allia standing before him with a small trunk at her feet
50:00Allia's voice seemed to return from the fire
50:03I don't need them now
50:06Leon pressed the key against his palm
50:08four years
50:10he had believed that if he kept the chamber
50:12kept the gowns
50:13kept the keys
50:14he could keep the possibility of her return
50:19but the chamber had burned
50:20the portrait had burned
50:21even the keys had lost their shape
50:24only then did Leon understand that Allia had not disappeared from his life
50:28because a door had closed
50:30she had left because
50:31he had never given her one worth opening
50:35the palace corridor looked as brilliant as it had before
50:39with portraits of past queens hanging along the walls
50:42there had once been a portrait of me there too after the dissolution
50:46Leon never ordered it removed
50:48now that portrait had burned with the chamber
50:50good
50:51some things should never have been kept later
50:54I heard that Lydia cursed my name throughout her trial
50:58she said that if it had not been for me
51:00she would have been queen long ago
51:02she said that if it had not been for me
51:06she said that if I died
51:08everything would go back to how it was
51:10I only found it ridiculous
51:11in the end
51:12they really were a perfect match
51:15one believed that as long as he kept the old chamber
51:18I would one day return
51:19the other believed that as long as I disappeared
51:22she would be able to walk through that door
51:24they were both stubbornly guarding things that did not belong to them
51:28both of them were trapped in the past
51:30refusing to move on
51:31what a shame I had not seen it sooner
51:34one regret in a lifetime was enough
51:37a young girl at the work table glanced at the messenger's letter in my hand
51:41teacher
51:42is that news from the palace?
51:44I folded the letter and pushed it into the fire
51:49no
51:51it is only ash
51:52madam Martha snorted from the corner
51:54good answer
51:56now teach that girl how to file a clean edge
51:59before she ruins my tools
52:01after that I never went back to the palace
52:04I never followed any news of Leon again
52:08several months after Lydia's sentence
52:10the minister of war placed a northern armory report before Leon
52:14your majesty
52:16the border cavalry requests more horses shoes from Miss Alia's workshop
52:20but their design has reduced winter injuries by nearly half
52:24Leon's fingers paused on the seal
52:27the capital armory could use her skill
52:29we may invite her to Whitestone for a royal commission
52:32for a moment
52:33the chamber was silent
52:35then Leon said quietly
52:36send the invitation
52:37he told himself it was for the kingdom
52:40he did not tell the minister that he had read every northern report
52:43with her name on it
52:45he did not say that each mention of Aaliyah's work hurt worse than a scar across his face
52:50days later
52:51a royal messenger arrived at Thomas's workshop
52:54Miss Alia
52:56his majesty invites you to the capital to oversee a new lock system for Whitestone Palace
53:01I did not stop filing the iron plate in my hand
53:04tell the ministry to send the measurements
53:07I will design what the palace needs from here
53:10his majesty hoped you would come in person
53:12I finally looked up
53:14I am an armature
53:16not a memory he can summon
53:17that evening I wrote a formal reply
53:22Thomas's workshop accepts commissions for tools, hinges, armor plates, locks, and keys
53:28it does not accept invitations to reopen closed doors
53:32when Leon received the letter
53:34he read the last line three times
53:36then he folded it carefully and placed it beside the ruined golden key he still kept in his desk
53:43the winters in the north were long
53:45but the forge fire never went out
53:47one of the new girls held up a broken lock and asked softly
53:51teacher
53:52what should I do if this won't open
53:55I glanced at it and pushed a bar of iron into the fire
53:59if it won't open
54:01replace it
54:01same with doors
54:03same with people
54:04the fire rose
54:06the red hot iron slowly took shape beneath the hammer
54:09I suddenly thought of the night
54:11I left the palace three years ago
54:14back then
54:15I thought I had lost everything
54:16only now did I understand
54:18I had simply carried myself out of a palace where
54:22I had never been given a key
54:25from then on
54:26my life would only move forward
54:28I would never look back
54:31the new girl stared at the broken lock in her palm
54:33then looked at the iron glowing in the furnace
54:37teacher
54:38can I make my own key?
54:40I handed her the smaller hammer my father once made for me
54:45you can make a key
54:46you can make a door
54:48you can even decide there should be no door there at all
54:50less talking
54:52more hammering
54:53the apprentices burst into laughter
54:56I laughed with them
54:57outside
54:58the northern snow covered the road to the capital
55:01inside
55:01the forge burned brighter than any palace chandelier I had ever seen
55:05I raised the hammer
55:07the first strike rang clear
55:08then the second then the third
55:11a new shape began to form beneath my hands
55:14chains
55:14And the years
55:15the this for a long time
55:15it's time to go home to different
55:16to our ella
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